Colorado State football works on setting the lineup

Tuesday's scrimmage key for Rams

By Mike Brohard Sports Editor

Posted:
08/19/2013 07:10:43 PM MDT

FORT COLLINS - The first scrimmage gives coaches an idea of where the team sits. The second, which comes Tuesday at Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, will give them an idea of who should be where in the pecking order of the depth chart.

And the players know it, even the newcomers.

Advertisement

"If you're not going into (Tuesday's) scrimmage thinking that mentality, then you probably shouldn't be here anyway," quarterback Garrett Grayson said. "That's how we need to go and look at it. Any time we're competing against the 1s, 1s and 1s, 2s and 2s, you should be trying to whoop them anyway. It doesn't really matter if it's a scrimmage or just a practice, we should be going out there and trying to compete anyway."

Colorado State University defensive lineman Eli Edwards missed practice on Monday for good reason -- he was at the hospital because his wife went into labor. (Photo by Steve Stoner/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
(STEVE STONER)

As the Rams enter the second scrimmage of the fall, coach Jim McElwain has yet to name a starter at quarterback. It was supposed to be a two-man race between Grayson and Conner Smith heading it, then true freshman Nick Stevens threw his name into the hat after the first scrimmage.

While Grayson has taken the majority of the snaps with the first team in the part of practice the media can watch, McElwain said all three would get reps with the first team in the scrimmage.

Grayson said he wants to show he's learned his lesson from last week, a performance where he said he was "dumb" in making some reads that led to sacks. He feels he's improved this week and wants to show that Tuesday.

He also feels Stevens is a viable candidate, calling him one of the smarter kids he's met, and Smith feels the same way.

"The kid's a pretty good player," Smith said. "I don't know exactly what the situation is right now, but I'm just trying to come out and do my best."

The scrimmage will display more than the quarterback battle, however, even going deeper than who the starters are on offense and defense, but also special teams contributors.

"I think after tomorrow, we'll get to set the initial depth chart," he said. "We're looking for some guys to settle themselves in at some positions, some in the backup linebacker positions. We need to solidify where we're at in the nickel and dime packages and how we're going to do that defensively. Offensively, we've had some great output by some receivers, and really kind of determine who those seven guys, eight guys are going to be in the rotation there."

McElwain went on to say it's pretty clear Weston Richburg will be starting somewhere, as will Shaquil Barrett, Shaq Bell and Cory James. With that, they might not take as many snaps today, allowing others to shine.

Watching that growth develop is just as intriguing to Bell as making himself better, and he thinks the younger Rams understand what's at stake Tuesday.

"From the last scrimmage, they got the feeling this scrimmage is much more important and they have to bring their 'A' game and just compete," Bell said.

Baby watch - Colorado State has been losing defensive linemen of late to injury, but Eli Edwards missed practice Monday for a better reason. He tweeted out early in the morning his wife, Luisa, was starting to go into labor. He was with her at the hospital awaiting the new arrival.

"We were excited," McElwain said. "Eli's wife is in the hospital right now. We haven't heard anything yet, but we're excited about accepting a new Ram into the family."

Sunday was the due day, but later in the evening, the Edwards family celebrated the birth of a daughter.

Feeling fresh - McElwain moved up Saturday's practice in order for the team to heal a bit, and he felt it worked. In between, the team went bowling together - they're not good, McElwain said - moved into their permanent housing for the year and went to church together.

There were more players taking more reps on the field Monday, a sign to the coach the players had taken advantage of the time.

"I was really impressed with how they used their time, staying off their legs, getting extra treatment," he said. "It really shows a commitment to what we're trying to accomplish here as a program."

Linebacker Max Morgan was involved more, as was defensive lineman LaRyan King and wideout Austin Gray. Safety Trent Matthews split time between the field and the training room.

Game plan - McElwain said they won't start working on the opener until game week, but they have slid in some drills for other games, such as facing the offenses of Air Force and Cal Poly. They are done without telling the team that's what they're specifically working on. The point, when it comes to those game weeks and the drills come back out, there will be a recall.